4 Best Sights in Copper Harbor, Michigan

Guided tours of this mine, 12 miles south of Copper Harbor along Highway 41, take visitors (wearing hard hats) 110 feet belowground for a 45-minute exploration (warm clothing is recommended). It's an authentic mine dating back to 1847 and veins of copper are still visible in what was once a highly active mining operation. Self-guided tours are also available. Aboveground, railroad enthusiasts will enjoy indoor and outdoor antique train displays, while animal lovers can visit a pen housing goats and deer.

Popular with bird-watchers, hikers, and anyone interested in flora and fauna, this 508-acre sanctuary is home to nearly 90 bird species, and 23 species of fern have been identified within its boundaries. But the biggest draw is the park's virgin white-pine forests, one of the last remaining stands in the Midwest, with 600-year-old trees up 150 feet high. In winter the three hiking-trail loops attract cross-country skiiers and showshoers.

Built as an Army post to protect copper miners from Native Americans, this fort was abandoned in 1870 and now resides on the National Register of Historic Places. Costumed interpreters demonstrate what life would have been like in the fort during the mid-1800s, and you can tour refurbished officers' quarters. Hiking, cross-country skiing, fishing, and boating are among the other recreational activities available here, and there's a campground with showers and electricity hook-ups. The park is also home to one of the first lighthouses to be built along the shores of Lake Superior.

Several attractions share the same grounds here. The most prominent is the Eagle Harbor Lighthouse, still operated by the U.S. Coast Guard. Occupying the Coast Guard's former garage building, the Keweenaw History Museum documents the region's evolution from a lumber town to a major leader in the mining industry, and exhibits include a mix of photographs and artifacts. Two other museums are on-site and also maintained by the Keweenaw County Historical Society: the Maritime Museum and the Commercial Fishing Museum.